Facing the current challenges of cities growing, land consumption and climate change, I believe projects like the Smart Floating Farms can help change some of the existing paradigms which have led us to the present situation and open new possibilities which can improve the quality of human life and the environment. Based on a Floating Platform Multi-layered strategy which combines Aquaculture (fish), Hydroponics-Aeroponics (crops) and Photovoltaics (solar power & other renewable energies), we aim that these floating farms can be located close to areas where food is more needed, causing a positive social & economical impact, with the potential of creating new emergent economies and also some of them becoming automated Farm Clusters run by the use of IT technologies/software.

The project is a Polyculture based solution, a highly productive floating ecosystem.It is a flexible one able to adapt its dimensions to the local food production needs and can be located close to many mega-cities or dense populated areas with a physical water access (seas-lakes-rivers). In example, but not restricted to, places like NY, Chicago, Seattle, Tokyo, Singapore, Mumbai, Jakarta, Cairo, HK, Shangai, Sao Paulo, Doha, Osaka, Bangkok, Shenzen, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi,Dubai, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Montreal, Jeddah, Kuwait city, Seoul, Karachi, Sydney, and a long etc.

This is not science fiction. It is a serious and viable solution. It is not meant to ‘solve’ all of humanity’s hunger problems or to replace existing traditional agriculture; this is not the idea at all. The driver behind the project is to open a new initiative which can be complementary and compatible with other existing production methods in order to help reduce food risk associated problems in different areas of the globe.

WHAT WE PROPOSE
The project deals with the symbiosis / combination of different existing technologies in order to produce what we need more of, fresh and healthy food closer to our home. The top level of the Smart Floating Farms will integrate the green energy production facilities (Photovoltaic plant combined with skylights). The resultant green power generated along with induction of natural sunlight, will be used for the second level layout of the hydroponic farm (growing crops). The waste byproducts from these crops can be further used for feeding the fishes on the lower level (Fish farming), while the waste from the fish farms can recycled as fertilizers for the hydroponic farm – thus a self-sufficient cycle and recycle process. Passive and active desalination methods are considered. The facilities will be protected in their perimeter via a series of inflatable wave protectors, thus avoiding wave risks and other climate threats.

The SFF project could be built out of well tested materials, technologies, and systems, which are already in use around the globe, in a way, we don’t need to invent new construction technologies, its all available in the market. The SFF footprint has a shape of a rectangle inspired by Asia’s traditional grid-shape fish floating farms, an efficient configuration which is rational and allows for maximum space for production.